Work_Statement.docx

5Solicitation

2025 TFD Fuel Break Mowing

MOWING

DESCRIPTIONS/SPECIFICATIONS/

WORK STATEMENT

1. Introduction: The Twin Falls District Fuels program of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting services to mow grass and brush within established fuel breaks to reduce the risk and minimize the size of future wildland fires.

2. Background: The treatment area consists of sagebrush steppe habitat that has been previously modified to reduce fuel loads and shrub stature. Vegetation within the treatment area is typical of the Great Basin and consists primarily of perennial grasses, Wyoming big sagebrush, and rabbitbrush along with other native vegetation. The topography of the project area consists of gently rolling plains. Slopes within the mowing areas are generally less than 5 percent and are easily traversable with agricultural tractors.

3. Purpose: The purpose of the Twin Falls District Fuel Break Mowing Project is to reduce the risk of large and/or severe wildland fires through the establishment of areas with reduced fuel loads and vegetative stature. Treatments that focus on reducing fuel loads, modifying vegetation composition, and increasing interspaces in shrubland vegetation types have been shown to alter fire behavior as well as enhance firefighter access, improve response times, and provide safe and strategic anchor points for wildland firefighting activities.

4. Scope of Work: The objective of this treatment is to mechanically mow sagebrush, and other vegetation, to a height of no more than eight (8) inches within the 275-foot fuel break on both sides of the designated roads. The mowing units total 1,806 acres along 25-mi of roads. Much of the 1,430 acres consists of perennial grasses that has been previously treated but needs maintenance to decrease the existing vegetation to a height of eight (8) inches. Wyoming big sagebrush and rabbitbrush have regrown in some areas as well.

5. Location of Project Areas: The project area is located approximately sixteen (16) miles southwest of Hagerman, Idaho and (16) miles south of Glenns Ferry, Idaho within Owyhee and Elmore County. All work will be performed on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and agreements threw Idaho Department of Lands. General-purpose maps are provided.

6. Project Boundary Marking: The location and access to the areas are shown on the work location and project access map. The 275-foot edge of the treatment area will not be flagged or marked.

7. Access: Legal public access to the project area will be identified on the map prior to the contractor beginning implementation. If roads or any type of access become subject to damage, because of adverse weather conditions or other natural and or political reasons, the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will relay information to the contractor, and a Stop Work Order may be implemented by the Contracting Officer (CO) until other access can be decided.

8. Notification of Cessation or Restart of work: The Contractor will notify the COR whenever mowing operations cease for three or more days and will notify the COR before starting operations after a shutdown of three or more days.

9. Personnel/Equipment Requirements: The Contractor must always maintain an adequate work force to ensure timely completion of the work and is responsible for the crew knowing the requirements of the contract. The crew is responsible for maintaining a safe working environment following OSHA standards. The Contractor must attend the pre-work meeting and provide a written performance plan including crew size prior to beginning work.

The Contractor will furnish all tools, labor, supervision, equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, training, and incidentals necessary to accomplish the task in accordance with the specifications provided within the designated performance time. The Contractor shall service and maintain such equipment as necessary to maintain satisfactory progress on the work.

Tractors: The Contractor shall furnish the necessary tractors with adequate drawbar horsepower, traction, and weight to accomplish the mowing requirement within the time limits specified by the government. The tractors shall be of the following type: four-wheel drive, with rubber tires or rubber tracks. Rollover protection structures are required on equipment regardless of age, as defined in CFR1920-1000-1002. Operators skilled in the operation of the furnished tractor(s) shall also be supplied by the Contractor. Tractor(s) shall be furnished and maintained in good mechanical conditions throughout the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish all required fuel, oil, and lubricants for operation of all contractor furnished equipment (tractors, mowers, transports).

Mowers: The mowers shall be the following type: Pull behind or push rotary style cutter. Mowers must be capable of traversing terrain and cutting brush to a height of approximately eight (8) inches or lower.

Motor Vehicles, Trailers, and Transports: The Contractor shall furnish motor vehicles for hauling equipment and personnel to and from the worksite. The Contractor shall not load or unload tractor(s) or mower(s) on public highways unless authorized by the Contracting Officer.

Mobilization: Includes all preparatory work and operations, including those necessary to the movement of personnel, equipment, supplies and incidentals to the project site; and for other work and operations which must be performed, or cost incurred prior to beginning work on the various items on the project site. All costs associated with mobilization will be incorporated into the cost per acre to be mowed.

10. Crew Foreman: A crew foreman must be on-site and may be an operator. This person will serve as an on the ground contact for the COR/PI. Failure to maintain a crew foreman will result in suspension of work until a crew foreman is provided. A maximum of five (5) days will be allowed to produce a qualified foreman. Failure to produce a qualified on-the-ground foreman within five days may result in the CO issuing a Suspend Work Order. CO and COR must be informed of any changes in Crew Foreman. Crew Foreman must be able to speak English.

11. Work Camps: Camping on agency-administered lands will only be allowed in approved sites and with the prior written authorization of the responsible land manager. Should such a work camp be authorized, the Contractor shall maintain the camp in an orderly and sanitary manner. All fire regulations and permits shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site(s) by the Contractor and disposed of offsite before final payment is made.

12. Specifications for Treatment: Rangeland Shrub Mowing

a) Mowing shall be performed in a linear fashion along both sides of the roadways creating a 550-foot-wide mow swath, both sides of the road will be mowed 275 feet from the edge of the road. Mowing may include some mosaic areas of non-mowed areas due to avoidance sites or rock out crops. However, the contractor should make every effort possible to mow ALL vegetation within the 275-foot-wide treatment area.

b) Mowing shall be performed on both sides of the roadway. In cases where fences bisect treatment areas, the contractor will need to adequately treat both sides of the fence out to the distance specified in the contract.

c) Timing: The period of performance for mowing will be conducted during the fall/ early winter to achieve project objectives for the Following Line Items: Item 0001, Item 0002, Item 003, and Item 0004. Those dates are as follows: October 15th 2025, to November 17th 2025.

d) Surface Conditions: Equipment shall not be operated when the soil is wet, and the equipment causes a three inch or greater rut. If such conditions are encountered, the Contractor shall stop work and notify the COR or PI.

e) Height of Mowing: The height of mowing shall be no more than eight (8) inches, measured from the original ground surface. The cuttings/mulch will be left where cut and will be even with the normal plane of the ground surface and spread as evenly as possible.

f) Daily mowing operations can begin at 6:00 A.M (0600 hours) to sunset.

g) No equipment may be parked in sage-grouse lekking areas. These areas will be identified and made available to contractor after selection.

h) The area to be mowed is open to public access and will remain so during the treatment.

i) Avoidance areas (no mowing) may be identified within the project area and designated with flagging, i.e., cultural sites, survey monuments, above ground pipeline structures, etc.

j) Surface rock and uneven terrain may reduce tractor speeds and cause mechanical problems. Routine periodic maintenance of equipment may reduce the daily hours of operation

k) Period of performance will total 34 calendar days.

13. Special Provisions - Fire Prevention/Suppression: Contractor shall ensure all equipment, diesel and/or gas engines, are equipped with an approved spark arrester. Spark arresters shall meet the requirements of the U.S. Forest Service Spark Arrester Guide, dated May 1985. Additionally, one shovel and a minimum of one 10-lb ABC fire extinguisher for each tractor and support vehicle is required. Shovel and fire extinguisher must be accessible to operator.

The contractor shall:

a) Comply with all applicable State and Federal laws and regulations pertaining to water quality in connection with any operations under this contract.

b) Take every reasonable precaution not to pollute or obstruct any stream (including dry streams), lake or reservoir on or near the project area in connection with any operations under this contract. If contractor’s operations cause pollution or obstruction of any stream, lake, or reservoir on or near the designated mowing area, contractor shall notify the authorized officer immediately, and will correct the condition to the satisfaction of the BLM.

14. Protection of Improvements: The COR may order a cessation of work if vehicles are operated on roads within the work area when ground or weather conditions cause or lead to loss of traction. Such conditions may develop during or immediately following rainstorms. Any soil and ground disturbance caused by equipment during and after operations will be rehabilitated by the contractor.

15. Salvage Rights: No salvage will be allowed.

INSPECTION, ACCEPTANCE, AND MEETINGS

1. Inspection:

a) The Government COR and/or PI will make periodic inspections as a basis for acceptance and payment and recommendations for adjustments in work quality while work is in progress. The Contractor is encouraged to participate in inspections while they are being conducted.

b) As the basis for payment, inspections for compliance with specifications will be made for work units reported as completed by the contractor. All plots will be averaged together to determine payment.

c) A combination of Ocular or Physical Inspections will be made on a series of plots located at different intervals across each work unit. A sufficient number of plots will be taken to obtain at least one percent sample of the work unit.

d) The following information will be recorded for each plot inspected if more than five (5) percent of the treated area has these items found in them. The treated areas will get a failing grade if:

(i) Remaining vegetation taller than the specified maximum (8-in).

(ii) Mowed width is less than 275 feet.

(iii) Cuttings/mulch not spread evenly on the ground to the extent possible.

2. Determination of Work Quality Percentage:

Work quality percentages are derived from data developed from inspection plots. The final work quality percentage times the bid price determines the pay. A work quality percentage of 95 percent or higher will result in full payment. If any of the reasons stated above in the Inspection section part (d) are the primary reason for unsatisfactory work, the Contractor shall rework areas designated by the Government until satisfactory work quality is obtained.

3. Acceptance:

a) Satisfactory Work Quality: A minimum work quality standard of 95 percent is required.

b) Unsatisfactory Work Quality: Based on inspection results, if the work quality percentage falls below 95 percent, the Contracting Officer will immediately notify the Contractor in writing and instruct the Contractor to improve the quality of the work. The contractor may ask for a meeting between themselves, CO, COR, and PI to discuss a resolution. If the quality of the work is not raised to an acceptable level within two consecutive workdays after written notification or within time decided at the meeting, the CO may issue a stop work order and/or Termination of Contract.

c) Final payment shall not be granted until project is complete to the satisfactory quality standard.

4. Meetings:

Pre-work Conference:

a) A pre-work conference will be held prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed. The Contractor will be notified in advance of meeting time, date, and place. The purpose will be to review required work, specifications, payment, and administrative provisions of the Contract.

b) The Contractor and the persons responsible for coordination for the work (Crew Representative/Foreman) shall be present at the meeting.

c) The Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the project and provide a schedule to meet the time frames of the project.

Progress Inspections/Meetings:

a) The Government COR and/or PI will make periodic visual inspections. Inspection will consist of documentation of the treated areas. Documentation will be based upon compliance with the specifications listed above (Item #13).

b) The Contractor shall require his or her Crew Representative to be present during the inspections. COR and/or PI will discuss all deviations from specifications with Crew Representative as soon as possible when deviations from specifications are found.

c) The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies noted and the project will be re-inspected by the COR.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government will provide the following items to the Contractor:

a) Provide various USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles (1:24,000 scales) or GIS equivalent with clear cut unit boundaries clearly identified.

b) A BLM Representative (COR and/or PI) will be available for technical guidance and when inspection is requested by the contractor. Regular communications between the BLM representatives and the contractor will alleviate any problems or delays.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

THE ESTIMATED DATES FOR THIS PROJECT ARE:

Performance Period Start Date: 10/15/2025 End Date: 11/17/2025